Holidays Bring “Tripledemic” Health Concerns
While people are very excited about their holidays and celebrations, health officials are concerned about the threat caused by the tripledemic. As 2023 is waiting around the corner, people around the globe are all set for their pandemic holidays. Although it’s already been three years since the global pandemic and even now, the risks of getting affected by this viral infection are high.
The tripledemic already started filling up hospitals in the United States with cases of flu, covid-19, and respiratory virus RSV. The country is facing the toughest season of holidays and winter illness in a decade. After the hardest three years of the pandemic, people have slowly started to come out to the crowds without the fear of getting affected by the disease. With the current situation, people are not only worried about the coronavirus, but they are also bothered about the widespread flu and respiratory syncytial virus(RSV).
What Really Is The ‘Tripledemic’?
As mentioned above, the term defines the three different respiratory viruses including RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), Influenza (Flu), and COVID-19. According to the experts, they are expecting all these viruses at once this winter. They believe that the number of cases will increase by the end of the season as it has already started filling up the hospitals and medical centers in different regions of the United States.
The public health experts of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) clarified that although these three health conditions are caused by different viruses, all these have some similarities. These similarities include common symptoms that affect the respiratory system directly, are contagious, and spread easily from one person to another, can be both mild and severe depending on the health of the individual.
Even though all these viruses could result in severe illness, we are fortunate that there are certain measures we can follow in order to avoid getting affected by the tripledemic. People who have low immune health could take a flu shot which is a vaccine that’ll reduce the symptoms of the flu. Just like the flu vaccine, one must take the covid-19 vaccine mandatorily to avoid getting the risk of the corona. To avoid RSV, you must take some personal hygiene measures. This includes the use of a cloth or tissue while sneezing, washing your hands often with either soap or sanitizing your hands, avoiding public contact, cleaning your surroundings, and maintaining hygienic surroundings to reduce the chances of getting affected by any three of the viruses.
Since there is a great drop in the number of covid cases in almost every country, there is no mandatory rule asking citizens to wear a mask on public transport. And even after there is a slight rise in the number of cases, no mandates are announced by the government. But as public health experts suggest, it is better to wear masks in order to keep oneself safe. Use high-quality masks that cover both your nose and mouth fully and properly. It is better to follow these while traveling anywhere during your holidays.
While comparing to 2019 flying records, there is a huge rise in the number of people traveling across the country to celebrate their holidays after the pandemic era. For the past weekend, more than 4.5 million people have flown to other places to enjoy the outdoor holiday plants they’ve dreamed about for the past couple of years.
So, if you are planning on traveling somewhere with your family and loved ones, make sure to take the necessary precautions to keep yourself and your loved ones safe. Wear a mask and make sure to sanitize your hands frequently.
